Method and apparatus for estimating area or volume of object of interest from gastrointestinal images
Inventors
Wang, Kang-Huai • Hadley, Mark • Wu, Chenyu
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10736559-B2
Publication Date
2020-08-11
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method and apparatus for estimating or measuring a physical area or physical volume of an object of interest in one or more images captured using an endoscope are disclosed. According to the present method, one or more structured-light images and one or more regular images captured using an imaging apparatus are received. An object of interest in the regular images is determined. Distance information associated with the object of interest with respect to the imaging apparatus is derived from the structured-light images. The physical area size or physical volume size of the object of interest is determined based on the regular images and the distance information. The imaging apparatus can be a capsule endoscope or an insertion endoscope.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to estimating or measuring a physical area or physical volume of an object of interest using an imaging apparatus that captures both structured-light images and regular images while positioned in a body lumen. Structured light is projected onto the body lumen to obtain distance information associated with the object of interest with respect to the imaging apparatus.
In the regular images, the object of interest is determined as corresponding to a target object on a wall of the body lumen. The derived distance information from the structured-light images is used together with the object of interest in the regular images to determine the physical area size or the physical volume size of the object of interest.
The invention further supports estimating gastrointestinal anomaly size and volume using dual image acquisition, including deriving outputs associated with infected areas and computing anomaly indices proportional to infected-area sums relative to total image area sums. For volume estimation, the invention includes approaches using a 3D mathematical model and structured-light based reconstruction that forms a triangle mesh from structured-light points, enabling computation of interior areas within an outlined contour.
Claims Coverage
The document provides two independent claims: one method claim and one apparatus claim. Each independent claim contains a similar set of core inventive features centered on dual acquisition, determination of the object of interest on a body-lumen wall, and computation of physical area size or physical volume size using regular-image content together with structured-light derived distance information.
Dual structured-light and regular-image acquisition in the body lumen
Receiving one or more structured-light images captured by projecting structured light onto a body lumen when the imaging apparatus is in the body lumen, and receiving one or more regular images captured by projecting non-structured light onto the body lumen when the imaging apparatus is inside the body lumen.
Object identification on the body-lumen wall in regular images
Determining the object of interest in the one or more regular images, wherein the object of interest corresponds to a target object on a wall of the body lumen.
Distance derivation from structured-light images
Deriving distance information associated with the object of interest with respect to the imaging apparatus from the one or more structured-light images.
Physical area or physical volume determination using regular images and distance information
Determining physical area size or physical volume size of the object of interest based on the one or more regular images and the distance information.
Apparatus implementation of dual structured-light and regular-image processing
An apparatus configured to receive one or more structured-light images, receive one or more regular images, determine the object of interest in the regular images as a target object on a wall of the body lumen, derive distance information from the structured-light images, and determine physical area size or physical volume size based on the regular images and the distance information.
Across both independent claims, the inventive coverage is concentrated in using structured-light projected onto a body lumen to derive distance information, using non-structured-light regular images to determine the object of interest on the body-lumen wall, and computing the physical area size or physical volume size from the combination of regular-image object determination and structured-light derived distance information.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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